Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
If a male does not spill his seed inside a female, it is because he does not find her worthy to bear his young. She is shamed by him. He looks baffled. You wish for me to shame you?
Oh jeez. “No, I don’t want you to shame me, Zohr. It’s…it’s nothing like that with humans. There’s no shame in spilling…anywhere, really. Some guys find it sexy to come in their girl’s mouth.” At least, according to the romance novels Sasha loaned me, and the fact that every single one of Azar’s men propositioned something similar. How is this news to him? “Some prefer dick-sucking because then you can still have sex but not make the girl pregnant. Which is a good thing because every condom on earth is probably expired by now.”
Zohr considers this. Humans think very strangely.
I have to chuckle at his befuddlement. “We’re a very practical sort, you know. A pregnancy is not always a good thing when no one can support the kid. Like I said, sometimes it’s just practical.”
And humans are practical and imaginative, he agrees. Two very interesting things. He kisses my stomach again. I must try to think more like humans.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I tell him breathlessly. “I kind of like you just the way you are.”
His thoughts reward me with a surge of pleasure.
It’s the truth, too. Every human guy I’ve met has been either like Jack—independent and slightly aloof, not good with touchy-feely or any sort of kindness other than basic survival. Or they’re like Boyd—just a real human bag of shit. I can’t blame either because that’s how you survive. The After’s made them who they are.
But I much prefer Zohr and his protective affection toward me, and the way he makes me feel like I’m the only person that matters in his world. A girl could become addicted to that kind of thing.
He moves lower, kissing my belly, a faint smile playing on his mouth. I lie back, sighing, and try not to worry about if I’m getting too attached, or what’s going to happen tomorrow. I should just let things be and take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one kiss at a time. Kiss by kiss. That sounds nice.
Zohr flicks his tongue over my belly button and then goes lower…and stops. Alarm and unease flare through his thoughts. He lifts his head, and his eyes are almost completely black.
I rise up on my elbows, tensing. “Zohr? What is it?”
Someone comes. His nostrils flare.
“Someone?”
A drakoni. I can smell her on the breeze. I can feel her thoughts as she approaches. I have sent out a broad warning, but…something is strange.
“A broad warning?” I ask, curious. “How does that work?”
Yes. It is sent out when others approach too near to a nest. His thoughts shift and he sends to me. I get a pulsing wave of aversion that rolls through my mind and makes me shudder.
That must be what he’s talking about. But she’s still coming?
She ignores my warning.
“Maybe she thinks she can score herself a hot date?” I say, trying to lighten the situation.
That is not it. She can smell me here with my mate. I do not understand what she is thinking. He shakes his head and his eyes seem to grow darker. I get flashes of irritation through his mind. She keeps trying to open her thoughts to me. She wants to talk.
An alarm bell goes off in my mind. “Aren’t all the other dragons crazy? If they don’t have a mate?” Before he can answer, I grab his arm. “Don’t do it. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
I need to know what she wants, he tells me, getting to his feet and stalking away. I will not allow her to intrude on us.
Is that what this is? Just a simple intrusion? God, I hope so. I hope she’s just crazy enough that she thinks she can come hang out for a chat and not so crazy that we need to fear for our lives. I watch Zohr storm forward, menace and anger radiating from him, right down to his clenched fists.
I don’t like this at all.
I grab my knife out of my boot and chase after him even as a shadow flies overhead, temporarily darkening the building. The old, familiar dragon fear rushes through me and I halt, resisting the urge to run for cover, to seek shelter from fire. To escape.
I am here, Zohr tells me. His thoughts are swift and strong, even if they’re angry. I will not let her bother us. I am merely going to chase her away. You stay back.
All right, I tell him, but I still don’t like this. I move behind a nearby bookshelf to take cover. I wish I had my gun. Or a bat. Anything longer than the small knife I have in my hands.